16 Reasons Why People Avoid Dairy Products.

Most North Americans, including some vegetarians, still consume large amounts of dairy products. Here are sixteen reasons why it is a good idea to consider eliminating dairy products.

1. Human beings have no nutritional requirements for the processed milk from the udder of a cow. The nutrients found in milk are readily available from a wide variety of plant foods, including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds. As a matter of fact, until refrigeration came along, the vast majority of humans and animals on the planet consumed little or no milk products. Most Asians (more then 1 billion), most Africans (almost a billion), and many other cultures around the world still consume no dairy products. These people do not suffer from acute cow's milk deficiency disease, and have much lower rate of osteoporosis then the countries that consume dairy products. Plant Sources of Calcium: Chart of calcium rich plant foods, calcium content, absorption rate and total estimated absorption vs. processed cow's milk.

2. Dairy products are high in fat and like all animal fats very high in saturated fats. Cow's milk straight from the udder is 55% fat. Unfortunately for consumers processed cow's milk found on the store shelf is purposely mislabeled to give the impression that it is low fat. 2% milk is actually 35% fat. Cheeses are very high fat. Those labeled between 7% and 37% fat are actually 35% to 77% fat. Butter is nearly 100% pure fat. For more on dairy fat, see The Great White Lie(s): Why and how the dairy industry purposely mislabels the fat found in it's products. Though skim milk products (skim milk, yogurt and cottage cheese) are considerably lower in fat, they retain the problems noted below. Also, if they skim the fat off one product it ultimately ends up in other food products.

3. Cow's milk, like all animal products, also contains cholesterol. This cholesterol, which is designed specifically by a cow for a cow, (unlike your own cholesterol, which is designed by you for you) contributes to cardiovascular disease and gallstones (whose principle component is cholesterol, hence the often used medical term "cholesterol gallstones"). Studies comparing the cardiovascular status of lacto-ovo vegetarians (consume egg and dairy) and vegans (consume no animal source foods) have proven that while both are healthier than meat eaters, vegans have better cardiovascular status than vegetarians who consume dairy products.

4. Iron deficiency is more likely on a dairy rich diet. Cow's milk products are very low in iron, thus, if they become a major part of one's diet, iron deficiency is more likely. In addition, clinical studies have shown that infants consuming cow's milk lose small amounts of blood from their digestive tracts. For this reason, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants below one year of age not be given whole cow's milk. "We now think that iron deficiency at that age can lead to brain damage" - Dr. Lewis Barnes, University of Wisconsin Pediatrician. If you consumed only dairy products, you would have to drink 50 cups of milk to reach your RDA's for iron. If you have any doubts about this, check the nutrition label on the side of a cereal box. You will see that the iron status of the cereal increases by 1% or less, with the addition of 1/2 cup of cow's milk.

5. Insulin dependent diabetes (Type I or childhood onset) is linked to dairy products. Epidemiological studies of various countries show a strong correlation between the use of dairy products and the incidence of insulin dependent diabetes. Researchers in 1992 found that a specific dairy protein sparks an auto immune reaction which is believed to be what destroys the insulin producing cells of the pancreas. Even the dairy industry has acknowledged in their own literature that this does occur, but only in about 3% of those who may be susceptible. Every adult who does decide to feed cow's milk to a child must ask themselves; should I really put my child at risk?

6. Ovarian cancer is linked to dairy products. The milk sugar lactose is broken down in the body into another sugar, galactose. In turn, galactose is further broken down by enzymes. According to a study by Daniel Cramer, M.D., and his colleagues at Harvard, when dairy product consumption exceeds the enzymes' capacity to break down galactose, there is a build-up of galactose in the blood which may affect a woman's ovaries. Some women have particularly low levels of these enzymes, and when they consume dairy products on a regular basis, their risk can triple that of other women. Please note; the problem is the milk sugar not the fat, thus nonfat dairy products cannot solve this problem. In fact, yogurt and cottage cheese seem to be of most concern because the bacteria used in their manufacture increases the production of galactose from lactose.

7. Cataracts are also linked to dairy products. The galactose that is a breakdown product of lactose appears to be capable of damaging the lens of the eye, leading to cataracts. There are other factors which also contribute to cataracts, such as ultraviolet light and vitamin deficiencies.

8. Many people, particularly Asians and Africans, are unable to digest the milk sugar lactose. this can result in diarrhea and gas. On the other hand, they may be the lucky ones. Many Caucasians can tolerate lactose, only to be unable to rapidly breakdown the galactose which circulates in their blood, possibly contributing to cataracts and ovarian cancer, as noted above. Lactose intolerance may be nature's early warning system. Lactose digesting pills such as Lactaid, may help breakdown the sugar, however they do not solve the underlying cause which is a signal by your body that this food product is not acceptable in your system.

9. Milk is one of the most common causes of food allergies. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology reports that cow's milk is the most common food allergy amongst children. Respiratory problems, canker sores, skin conditions, post nasal drip, and other subtle and not so subtle allergies can be caused by dairy products. The sad thing is that many people never know that their problems are caused by dairy sensitivity. Taking a break from dairy products can often lead to surprising improvements. Asthmatics, in particular, should give themselves a long vacation from dairy products to see whether their condition improves.

10. Like other products from animals, mammary secretions contain frequent contaminants, from pesticides to drugs. About a third of all milk products are contaminated with antibiotic traces. The dairy industry slogan "something for every body" takes on a different meaning, doesn't it?

11. Dairy products, despite common myths, do not stop osteoporosis. Evidence shows that the rate of bone loss is largely unaffected by dairy products. Numerous studies have shown that the countries with the highest intake of dairy products also have the highest incidence of osteoporosis, and that consuming large amounts of dairy products simply will not maintain bone density.

12. One out of every five babies suffers from colic. Pediatricians learned long ago that cow's milk was often the reason. We now know that breast feeding mothers can have colicky babies if the mothers are consuming cow's milk. The cow's antibodies can pass through the mother's blood stream into her breast milk and to the baby.

13. Cow's milk is not a natural source of Vitamin A and D. These two are fortified into the milk. In many provinces, states and countries it must be added by law. Often the amount is not well regulated and these two fat soluble vitamins are in excess and can contribute to toxicity, as well as calcium loss and osteoporosis. Your best source of vitamin A is consuming products high in beta-carotene, which the body uses to produce vitamin A. Once enough vitamin A is produced , your body stops producing it. Vitamin D is actually not even a vitamin but a hormone. Your body produces vitamin D when the skin is exposed to sunlight. It is estimated that an average of 15 minutes of sunlight per day on the hands and face is enough for your body to produce the necessary amount of vitamin D. Please note; it is the vitamin A and D that is produced by your own body that is necessary for your own vital functions, not that of another animal or from a genetically engineered substitute.

14. Dairy products, like all other animal products, do not contain any fiber. The more dairy products that one consumes, the less fiber rich foods are eaten. Fiber has been shown to reduce your risk of a variety of diseases including heart disease, stroke, and cancer.

15. Mad cow's disease is still a real possibility in North America, even for those consuming dairy products. Contrary to popular belief, the risk of mad cow's disease is alive and well in Canada and the U.S. We are doing exactly what the British farmers did to spread the disease into the food chain. We still take downer cows (beef and dairy cows that have suddenly died for no apparent cause) grind them up and add them to cattle feed. This cattle feed is then fed to food animals including dairy cows. In Great Britain dairy cows were found to be one of the carriers of the disease. For more information, check out our link Cows Gone Mad.

1 Comments:

Anonymous said...

yes, i have recently stoped eating all dairy products and eggs. they are not natural for us to ingest and the more you think about it the more it makes you sick. why would you want to eat a chickens embryo or drink the milk that comes from a cows pustel glands. yuk.